It was a massive gamble. Back in 2013, when the west side of Manhattan was still basically a graveyard of rusted tracks and gravel, Tapestry Inc.—then known simply as Coach Inc.—decided to anchor its entire future at Hudson Yards. People thought they were crazy. Moving from the established fashion hubs of Midtown or the trendy streets of SoHo to a literal construction site felt like a corporate mid-life crisis. But today, the 10 Hudson Yards tower stands as a monument to a brand that refused to stay stagnant.
Walking into the lobby of 10 Hudson Yards, you don't just feel like you’re entering a corporate office. It’s different. The architecture, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), leans over the High Line with a sort of aggressive grace. It’s a 52-story skyscraper, and Coach—now the parent company Tapestry—owns a massive chunk of it. We're talking about a 700,000-square-foot vertical campus.
They aren't just tenants. They are owners.
The Financial Reality of the Coach Inc Hudson Yards Move
Most companies rent. They sign a 10-year lease, complain about the escalating square-footage costs, and eventually move when the neighborhood gets too expensive. Coach Inc. did something smarter. They bought their space as a commercial condo. By the time they fully moved in around 2016, they had solidified a real estate asset that skyrocketed in value as the rest of Hudson Yards rose from the dirt.
It wasn't cheap. The investment was pegged at roughly $750 million for their portion of the tower initially, but when you factor in the build-out and the tech integration, the stakes were astronomical. Why do this? Honestly, it was about control. When you own the walls, you can tear them down. Coach designed a "building within a building." They have their own dedicated entrance. They have a massive, multi-story atrium that feels more like a creative laboratory than a cubicle farm.
The move was led by former CEO Victor Luis. He wanted to shed the image of Coach as just a "handbag company" and transform it into a modern luxury house. You can't do that in a cramped, dark office on 34th Street. You need light. You need the 360-degree views of the Hudson River. You need to be where the "new" New York is happening.
✨ Don't miss: Funny Team Work Images: Why Your Office Slack Channel Is Obsessed With Them
It’s About More Than Just Desks and Coffee
If you think this is just about real estate, you're missing the point. The Coach Inc Hudson Yards headquarters was built to foster a specific kind of "collision." In their old offices, design teams were separated from the marketing people. The leather artisans were floors away from the digital strategists.
In 10 Hudson Yards, everything is open.
There is this incredible "South Atrium" that acts as the heart of the company. It’s a massive opening in the center of their floors that allows people to literally see what’s happening three levels above or below them. It sounds like corporate jargon until you see it. When a designer can look down and see the prototype for a new Rexy the Dinosaur bag being photographed for social media, the feedback loop shrinks. It’s fast.
The Sustainability Factor
Let’s get real about the "green" stuff. Hudson Yards as a whole is a LEED Gold neighborhood, but the Coach space took it further. They integrated high-efficiency lighting and water-reduction systems that weren't just about PR. It was about operating costs. In a 700,000-square-foot space, saving 20% on energy isn't just "nice"—it's millions of dollars back on the balance sheet.
Integration of Tapestry Brands
Since the move, Coach Inc. became Tapestry Inc. Now, the building houses Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman too. It’s a powerhouse. Each brand maintains its own "neighborhood" within the tower to keep its unique culture—Kate Spade is still quirky and colorful, while Stuart Weitzman keeps that sleek, high-fashion edge—but they share the "back of house" resources. They share the cafeteria. They share the gym. It’s a masterclass in operational efficiency.
🔗 Read more: Mississippi Taxpayer Access Point: How to Use TAP Without the Headache
What Most People Get Wrong About the Location
Critics said Hudson Yards would feel sterile. They called it a "billionaire's playground" that lacked the soul of New York. For a brand like Coach, which prides itself on being "Original American Leather," there was a fear they would lose their grit.
The opposite happened.
By being at the terminus of the High Line, Coach positioned itself at the intersection of tourism and local industry. The foot traffic is insane. But inside the tower, the vibe is surprisingly "workshop." They kept a leather atelier on-site. You can still smell the hides. You still hear the sewing machines. They didn't trade their craftsmanship for glass and steel; they just gave that craftsmanship a better view.
The Impact on Recruitment
You want the best designers from Parsons? You want the smartest data scientists from MIT? You have to give them a place they actually want to spend 10 hours a day. The "amenitized" office is a meme at this point, but at Hudson Yards, it’s a reality. Employees have direct access to the Equinox Hotel, the high-end food hall at Mercado Little Spain, and the literal Vessel (though that’s had its own share of drama).
The building is a recruiting tool. It says, "We aren't a legacy brand slowly dying; we are a tech-forward luxury conglomerate."
💡 You might also like: 60 Pounds to USD: Why the Rate You See Isn't Always the Rate You Get
Lessons for Other Heritage Brands
Coach's move to Hudson Yards teaches us a few things about corporate survival:
- Own your platform. If you can afford to buy your headquarters, do it. It protects you from market volatility.
- Architecture dictates culture. If your office is segmented, your thinking will be segmented. Use open vertical spaces to force departments to talk.
- Location is a brand statement. Moving to an unfinished neighborhood showed a "pioneer" spirit that matched their 1941 origins.
The move wasn't without its headaches. Construction delays in the early days were legendary. Getting to the 7 train line was a hike before the extension was fully reliable. But looking back, the decision to leave Midtown for the "Wild West" of Manhattan was the catalyst for Coach’s modern era.
How to Navigate the Area if You're Visiting
If you’re a fashion student or a business tech geek wanting to see the "Coach effect" in person, don't just stare at the tower from the street.
- Walk the High Line: Start at 14th Street and walk north. As you approach 30th Street, you’ll see 10 Hudson Yards looming. The way the building integrates with the park is a masterclass in urban planning.
- The Public Square: Stand in the center of the Hudson Yards plaza. Look at the "tilt" of the two main towers (10 and 30). They are designed to lean away from each other like a dance. Coach’s tower is the one that feels more "grounded" to the park.
- Retail Presence: Visit the Coach store in the Shops at Hudson Yards. It’s one of their flagship expressions. See how the aesthetic of the store mirrors the industrial-meets-luxury vibe of the headquarters above it.
The Future of 10 Hudson Yards
As we move deeper into the 2020s, the "office" is being redefined. Many companies are shrinking. Tapestry, however, has doubled down. They’ve integrated hybrid work models that utilize the Hudson Yards space as a "hub" rather than a mandatory daily cage.
They’ve proven that the physical office isn't dead—it just has to be better than your home. With the views of the Statue of Liberty and the floor-to-ceiling windows, 10 Hudson Yards beats a spare bedroom every single time.
Actionable Takeaways for Business Leaders
- Evaluate your "silos": If your teams aren't talking, look at your floor plan before you look at your management style. Physical barriers create mental ones.
- Real Estate as Equity: Consider if your corporate footprint can be an asset rather than an expense. The commercial condo model used by Coach is a hedge against gentrification.
- Brand Evolution: Don't be afraid to leave the "traditional" neighborhood of your industry. Sometimes being the first one in a new district defines you as a leader rather than a follower.
The Coach Inc Hudson Yards story is still being written as the neighborhood matures, but the initial "gamble" has already paid out. They bought low, built high, and reinvented an American icon in the process. It’s a blueprint for any legacy brand trying to figure out how to stay relevant in a world that moves faster than a New York minute.